


All That She Needs

by Zoya1416



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Addiction, Black Ribboners, Coffee, F/F, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-28
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-14 01:13:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1247170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya1416/pseuds/Zoya1416
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maladicta Is a Black Ribboner, sworn to never take blood again. But sometimes she dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All That She Needs

**Author's Note:**

> Everything belongs to Pratchett. Polly and Mal are from Monstrous Regiment.

Mal was a Black Ribboner. She had sworn never to drink another drop of blood, and it was a pledge easy to keep most of the time. When her coffee was stolen, it had been very bad. These days she kept coffee beans in necklaces, pouches attached to her belt, in her rucksack, and several other locations so she'd never go without. She was content. But sometimes she dreamed.

“Perks, what is that new smell? It's sinfully attractive.”

Polly lay beneath her in a warm haystack, half naked on a blanket, and smiling up at her.

“It's cappuccino, darling. You can smell in it my veins, can't you? All my blood has changed to cappuccino—why don't you try it?”

Polly turned her white neck so that Mal could see the vessels beating, and continued, “Smell the foam. White swirly foam right below you here, nothing easier than to take it.”

Mal jerked awake suddenly. It was daytime, but she always took care to be in shade when she could. Perks was yelling at the new volunteers, shaping them up, and the only smells coming from her were dirt and frustration.

She got up and wandered over to the training area. 

“Need me to scare them a little, darling?” She whispered in Perks' ear, nuzzling it. “I have those terrible vampiric powers of persuasion, you know.”

Polly scowled at her, annoyed at the interruption.  
“I'm fine. Why don't you see if you can sneak up on the scouts and lookouts?”

Mal left, carrying in her nose the pleasant girl sweat, the bronze notes of leather from rifle straps; gunpowder, warm cotton, and boots which needed airing. Perks' hair needed washing—it was oily. Mal memorized everything, carefully, also adding in the smells of the pines, the leaf mold, the cooking fire and strew, even whiffs from the privy. She would match the next nightmare with these aromas. She'd quit cappuccino, too, which was a pity, but only a tiny pinprick compared to keeping Polly safe.

Polly was everything, not just her love, but her addiction as well, part of the replacement for blood. Not that she would share that with the girl; it would frighten her. Mal saw the nearest sentry sitting on a log, and started a noiseless sweep forward.


End file.
